"It's been a long day, but to get this over the line is amazing for me and it's now a new challenge for me and hopefully I can bring what I did at Preston here and show what I can do.

"It's amazing to know I'm a Premier League footballer, to know where I've come from in the last five years to where I am now in the Premier League is amazing.

"I'm still pinching myself to see if it's all real, but hopefully I can bring my qualities from Preston here to West Ham. Without a doubt it's a huge opportunity and I'm looking forward to it."

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Hugill joined Preston from Port Vale in June 2014 for just £25,000 and the League Two club stand to benefit from a percentage of the fee that took him to West Ham.

He spent much of his first season as a Preston player on loan, enjoying spells with Tranmere Rovers and Hartlepool United, before establishing himself in the Lilywhites' first team following their promotion to the Championship in 2015.

The Middlesbrough-born striker scored 12 goals in 44 Championship appearances in 2016-17 and has netted eight times in 27 league games this season.